Dry wall tape dispenser



Feb. 24, 1970 1.. BENNETT, JR

DRY WALL TAPE DISPENSER Filed June 17, 1966 Lufher Benneff, Jr.

1 N VEN TOR.

0 BY Ammq:

United States Patent 3,496,909 DRY WALL TAPE DISPENSER Luther Bennett, Jr., 832 Ellsworth Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43206 Filed June 17, 1966, Ser. No. 558,511 Int. Cl. 1305c 11/122, 11/12 U.S. Cl. 118-43 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for adhesively coating and dispensing wall joint tape such as is used in the construction or repair of socalled dry walls.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein described which may be effectively employed for dispensing desired lengths of tape from a roll and applying a coating of adhesive paste to the tape automatically during the dispensing operation.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby the thickness of adhesive paste applied to the tape may be varied as desired.

Another important feature involves the provision of novel means for supporting a roll of tape on the dispenser.

Still another feature resides in providing the dispenser with supporting legs for positioning on a flat surface, as well as with clamp means whereby the dispenser may be removably attached to a suitable support, as for example, the step of a ladder.

The device of the invention is simple in construction, efficient and time-saving in operation, and lends itself to convenient and economical manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the dry wall tape dispenser of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail illustrating the tape roll mounting means; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 44 in FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the dry wall tape dispenser of the invention is designated generally by the reference character 10. The same comprises a substantially rectangular hopper 11, having an open top and including a bottom 12, a pair of side walls 13, 14, and a pair of end walls 15, 16. The side walls 13, 14 are formed integrally with extensions 17, 18, respectively, which project outwardly beyond the end wall 15 and constitute a pair of arms for supporting a roll of tape 19, as will be hereinafter described.

The hopper 11 is equipped at the bottom thereof with a set of legs 20 for supporting the same at an elevation above a Hat surface on which the dispenser may be positioned. Also, a clamp 21 is secured to the underside of the hopper bottom 12, whereby the dispenser may be removably attached to a suitable support, as for example, a step 22 of a ladder, as will be apparent from FIGURE 2.

The hopper end wall 15 is provided at the bottom 12 with a tape entrance slot 23, and similarly, the end wall 16 is provided at the bottom 12 with a tape outlet opening 24. Thus, the tape may extend from the roll 19 through the entrance slot 23, along the bottom 12 of the hopper, and then outwardly through the outlet opening 24, as indicated at 19'. It will be observed that the end wall 15 is rolled at the upper edge of the slot 23 as indicated at 25, so as to eliminate a sharp edge by which the tape could otherwise be damaged.

Preferably, the transverse spacing of the hopper side walls 13, 14 is substantially greater than the width of the tape to be accommodated. A pair of elongated side plates 26, 27 are secured to lower end portions of the respective side walls 13, 14 and extend downwardly in convergent relation to the bottom 12, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The side plates 26, 27 thus provide a trough in the bottom portion of the hopper and the transverse distance between the lower edges of the side plates is only slightly wider than the tape, so that adhesive paste placed in the hopper may be effectively deposited on the upper surface of the tape as the latter travels through the hopper.

A vertically adjustable gate 28 is provided on the outer surface of the hopper end wall 16 for varying the height of the outlet opening 24 and thereby correspondingly varying the thickness of adhesive paste which is deposited on the tape as the latter is pulled outwardly through the opening. The gate 28 is slidably mounted in position on the end wall 16 by a plurality of bolts or rivets 29 extending through vertical slots 30 in the gate, one of such bolts being equipped with a wing nut 31 which, when tightened, serves to hold the gate in an adjusted position.

It will be also noted that the lower edge of the gate 28 is formed integrally with an outwardly projecting, substantially horizontal flange 32 having a sharp cutting edge 33 against which the tape may be torn after a desired length of the tape has been pulled through the hopper.

As is best shown in FIGURE 3, the tape roll 19 is supported by a shaft 34 extending transversely between the aforementioned arms 17, 18. One end portion of the shaft 34 is rotatably and removably journaled in an aperture 35 in the arm 17, while the other end portion of the shaft is diametrically reduced as at 34' and is rotatably and removably journaled in an aperture 36 in the arm 18. The diametrically reduced shaft portion 34' provides an annular shoulder 37 on the shaft, for abutting the arm 18.

The intermediate portion of the shaft 34 is either formed integrally with or has rigidly secured thereto a cylindrical hub 38 on which the tape roll 19 may be positioned, the hub 38 having a fixed flange 39 at one side of the tape roll. The other side of the roll of tape is abutted by a flange 40 which is slidably positioned on the shaft 34 and is urged against the adjacent side of the roll of tape by a compression spring 41 which is positioned on the shaft 34 between the slidable flange 40 and the aforementioned arm 17.

It will be understood that the spring 41 serves not only to retain the flange 40 against the tape roll 19, but it also presses the shoulder 37 of the shaft 34 against the arm 18 and thus frictionally restricts free rotation of the shaft so that the tape is unwound only as fast as it is pulled through the hopper 11.

When the supply of tape on the roll 19 has been exhausted, it may be replenished by simply pressing the shaft 34 in the direction of the arrow 42 so as to withdraw the shaft end portion 34' from the aperture 36. The shaft may then be moved in the relatively opposite direction to withdraw the same from the aperture 35 and with the shaft thus removed from the arms 17, 18, the spring 41 and the flange 40 may be slipped off the shaft to facilitate positioning of a new roll of tape on the hub 38.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A dry wall tape dispenser comprising, in combination, a paste receiving hopper including a bottom, a pair of side walls and first and second end walls, the first end wall being provided at the bottom of the hopper with a paste deposited from the hopper on the tape, and a substantially horizontally outwardly projecting flange provided on and along the full width of the lower edge of said gate in overlying relation to the outlet opening, said flange having a sharp cutting outer edge by which the tape may be severed.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a A pair of downwardly convergent side plates extending from lower portions of said side walls, along the full length thereof, to said bottom and forming a flat tape receiving trough of a width substantially equal to that of the tape in the bottom portion of the hopper.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 together with a set of four vertical legs extending downwardly from the corner portions of the bottom of said hopper for sustaining the same at an elevation above a supporting surface, and a clamp provided centrally on the underside of the bottom of said hopper and in laterally spaced relation to the surrounding legs for removably attaching the same to a support, said legs extending below said clamp for engagement with a flat supporting surface without interference by said clamp.

4. In a dry wall tape dispenser, the combination of a paste receiving hopper including a bottom, a pair of side walls and first and second end walls, the first end wall being provided at the bottom of the hopper with a tape entrance slot, the second end wall being provided at the bottom of the hopper with a tape outlet opening, and means provided on the hopper exteriorly of the first end wall for supporting a roll of tape whereby the tape may extend from the roll through said entrance slot along the bottom of the hopper and outwardly through said outlet opening, said means comprising a pair of arms constituted by extensions of said side walls of the hopper outwardly beyond the first end wall, said arms being formed with a pair of transversely aligned apertures, a shaft having one end portion thereof removably and rotatably journaled in the aperture of one of said arms and also having a diametrically reduced other end portion removably and rotatably journaled in the aperture of the other arm, said diametrically reduced shaft end portion providing a shoulder on said shaft in abutment with said other arm, a fixed flange and a slidable flange provided intermediate the ends of said shaft and adapted to receive a roll of tape therebetween, and a compression spring provided on said shaft and acting between said slidable flange and one of said arms for urging said flange toward said roll, so as to clamp the roll between the flanges for rotation with the shaft, and said shoulder against the other arm and for frictionally restricting rotation of said shaft.

5. The device of claim 4 including a vertically adjustable gate provided on the second end wall above said outlet opening for varying the height of said outlet opening and thereby varying the thickness of paste deposited from the hopper on the tape, and a substantially horizontally outwardly projecting flange provided on and along the full width of the lower edge of said gate in overlying relation to the outlet opening, said flange having a sharp cutting outer edge by which the tape may be severed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,611 12/1899 Randall 248-210 1,340,710 5/1920 Graham 24275.4 2,337,790 12/1943 Williams 24275.4 2,405,742 8/1946 Fulfur 156-575 2,858,953 11/1958 Harrell 156577 2,957,449 10/ 1960 Carmichael 156-S78 3,112,225 11/1963 Harms 156575 3,182,943 5/1965 Crossman 248210 1,731,266 10/1929 Raymond 24255.2

HAROLD ANSHER, Primary Examiner W. E. HOAG, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

